Process for producing articles from diatomaceous earth.



neonate.

- Hamburg;

7 use of clay,

Lunwre KERN, or Hat/Incas, enmmn'x.

,rnocnss non rnonucrne an'rrcrns rnoin 'nra ronncnons nnn'rn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it. known that I, Loowie KERN, a subject of the German Emperor, residing in Germany, have invented anew and Improved Process, for Producing Articles from Diatomaceous Earth, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to the ordinary diatomaceous earth of a low quality and in: capable of being molded into shape, and such as is found in large quantities in various parts of the world.

The, object of the a new and improved process for making diatomaceous earth moldable, without the for producing various industrialarticles such, for instance, as are used for filtering or purifying liquids and gases, diaphragms for use in electro-chemistry for the separation of the. anode and-cathode spaces, fire bricks for use in kilns, smelting and other furnaces, as insulating material for electricity, heat, sound and fire. or for building or other purposes I in order to accomplish the desired'result, .a diatomaceous earth of low quality is subjected to the action of a diluted mineral acid such as hydrochloricacid to disintegrate the carbonates. of iron, calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and the silicates usually 5o ders the diatomaceous earthfound as extraneous matter with the said diatornaceous earth. By the action of a mineral acid a mass is formed which is free of carbonates and capable cfbeing molded "into a desired shape, to be finally burned produce an article of compressional strength. By the use of the mineral acid the carbonic acid of the car-, bonates is driven oif'and corresponding salts dissolvable in water are formed. The process can be carried on cold, but by the use of heat the time for carrying out the process can be materially shortened. The diatomaceous eapth itself is not adected by this process and practically a number of salts dissolved in water are produced which are of a viscous character and are minutely distributed in the herein-' before mentioned salt solution, which rencapable of being readily molded-into any thearticle is formed desiredshape. After it is burned in a suitable oven and during t5 the burning and oxidizing operation, the

invention is to provide quite a percentage of remains intact, but

plastic and Patented Nov. as, rare.

Application filed May l5, 1915. Serial No. 28,309.

"scribed is placed in a mixing vessel and then I diluted mineral acid is added to cause a disintegration of the ba sic substances contained in the diatomaceous earth andform therewith a thick moldable paste. As the extraneous substances in the raw diatomaceous earth vary considerably, both in nature and'in'quantity, is is data for carrying large scale, that is,

desirable, first, to obtain by laboratory tests the necessary- A deslred amount of tor to determine the properties of the mineral acid to be. used for any particular batch of diatomaceous earth. In some of the deposits of diatomaceous earth the extraneous substances are of low percentage and as the strength of compression f the final product depends to-a considerable extent on the extraneous substances,

it is necessary in some cases to add such substances to the diatomaceous earth contained in the mixing vessel.

After the paste is formed, itis left to stand for a short time, say 6 to 24. hours and then it is placed into suitable molds corresponding to the article to be made. The molded article is then partly dried so that the water is retained, and then-the molded suitable oven or furnace. During the burning process the heat of the firing gases causes the water in the molded article to be verted into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen forms with the chlorin of the chlorid', hydrochloric acid, which escapes togetherwith the iron chlorid. it being under's ood that this process is facilitated by the incandescence of. the article. The oxygen forms the oxid of potassium, magnesium and sodium, thereby forming a liquid flux which is minutely divided in the mass of, the diatomaceous earth and causes a hardening of the same. :Thearticle produced in the manner described is insoluble in cold or boiling water, has a bar sound, can be cut, bored, sawed or nailed, and is very porous.

The diluted mineral acid consists preferably of about 1,000 from 5 to 50 parts of the hydrochloric acid or other mineral acid. The amount of minparts of water and about 1 00 to maoaaae pounds with diluted hydrochloric acid to convert the compounds into chlorids and to form a moldable mass, then molding the mass and partly drying the same, and then burning the molded product to transform the chlorids of the compounds into oxids.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LUDWIG KERN.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS R. STEWART, CHAnLEs A. HALLEY, JR. 

